Computers can be made small by using specialized, small components. However, specialized, small components cost more than standard, full-sized components and often do not have the performance capabilities of full-sized components. The cost of materials for a small-frame computer could be reduced by using full-sized components.
Motherboards, like those that follow the Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) standard, have slots which are connectors for add-in cards. Typical full-sized ATX motherboards have up to seven slots, as allowed by the ATX standard. Most of the slots might follow the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) standard. One or more slots might be dedicated to high performance add-in cards for graphics processing, and might follow either the PCI-Express (PCI-E) standard, or the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) standard. The graphics add-in slot is typically either slot seven, which would be at one end of a group of slots, or slot six, which would be next to slot seven. In a typical computer, add-in cars are inserted into the motherboard slots so that the add-in cards stick up perpendicular to the motherboard. Since an ATX motherboard is typically 9 by 12 inches and full-sized add-in cards are typically 5 inches wide, the typical approach takes up 540 cubic inches for add-in cards. A small-frame computer would not have enough room for full-sized add-in cards that stand perpendicular to the motherboard.